SEMA Announces New Benefit Partner to Help Save Members Money

SEMA Member News—September/October 2011

SEMA Announces New Benefit Partner to Help Save Members Money

First Data to Bring Great Savings on Credit Card Processing!

Make it easier for your customers to do business with the new credit card solution from SEMA and First Data.

SEMA is now providing a credit card payment solution that will save member companies substantial sums. The program may pay for itself in the first few months alone, and if First Data cannot meet or beat your current pricing on credit card processing, it will give you a $500 Visa gift card.

Every year, American businesses spend billions of dollars on credit card processing. Even an average small business accepting credit card payments spends thousands each month. Knowing how much these costs impact member businesses, SEMA sought a solution.

In May 2011, SEMA contracted with First Data to provide the first-ever credit card processing discount benefit to member companies. The association’s tests revealed that the average small business could save a few hundred dollars each month. While this may seem to be a small amount, consider how much that could amount to each year. With the average SEMA retailer’s dues at roughly $150 per year, this benefit has the potential to pay for itself in the first several months alone.

SEMA members make, buy, sell and use all kinds of specialty parts to make vehicles more attractive, unique, efficient, faster, safer and much more fun. With 40 years of industry-leading experience, Express Merchant Processing Solutions (EMPS), powered by First Data, helps millions of businesses like yours bring safe, easy, cost-effective payments to its customers with affordable support—regardless of size.

To familiarize yourself with all of the services provided through this partnership with First Data, just review the following features:

Most Forms of Payment: The EMPS service is compatible with Visa, MasterCard, Diners Club, American Express, Discover Network and JCB, plus debit, gift cards and more.

Improve Cash Flow: Participants receive funds quickly from the banks of their choice.

In an effort to help build this partnership and promote its ability to provide SEMA members with top-level service and the greatest discounts, First Data will be providing all members with its “Meet or Beat” guarantee. If First Data cannot meet or beat your current pricing on credit card processing, it will give you a $500 Visa gift card.

“We were incurring very substantial costs in credit card processing when we came to First Data to discuss how they could be a more cost-efficient vendor for our credit card processing,” said Brian Allen, CFO of SEMA-member company Portofino International Trading USA Inc. in Vernon, California. “First Data gave us a proposal that I must admit seemed to be, as they say, ‘too good to be true,’ but three months later, the company was indeed as good as stated. The proof of that is in the details. Our cost of processing credit cards has dropped by more than half! I did not expect the savings we are realizing month after month. The system has provided us with better information and more access than we had before. Thanks again for bringing us a better and less expensive choice for processing credit cards.”

To take advantage of the “Meet or Beat” challenge or for more information, please contact Ken Keifer at First Data by phone at 424/903-6877 or via e-mail at ken.keifer@firstdata.com. SEMA members may also access more information here.